Grand Theft Auto V is just under a week away and anticipation is at an all time high. Commercials are all over TV, huge banners are hanging from buildings all over the world, and the press are finally getting their hands on the game itself. The newest issue of Game Informer is jam packed with tons of new details about my most anticipated game, GTA: Online.

Welcome To Your Los Santos

Even though you get it when you buy GTA: V, Rockstar considers GTA: Online it's own entity. A game that has been in the minds of Rockstar ever since the studio was working on GTA III, the newest iteration finally allows them to create the GTA experience with multiple players. 16 players to be exact. While that is the same amount as IV and Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar has pointed out that the level of detail and ambiance in the multiplayer world is on par with their single player component.

Customization is a key feature to help bring that sense of immersion to life in a way that other games have only tried to do. The first step to doing that is creating your very own character to inhabit the world of GTA: Online.

It's not your typical tool set for character creation though, with various sliders where you tweak how far your ears stick off your head. Instead you choose family members such as parent and grandparents. The game will then compare the genes of your digital family and it will determine what your character looks like, you get to choose if you are male of female.

Once your character is created, you will fly into Los Santos to begin your life of crime. The main goal is to get paid by any means necessary. There are over 500 missions to choose from when the game launches on October 1st. Some you can tackle solo while other require you to bring a few friends.

Not every mission will be available immediately when you start though. There is a progression system tied to your financial status that will drip feed larger and more lucrative missions as you move up in the world. The mission variety is said to be vast, from stick up robberies and meticulously planned heists to high stakes races and even assaulting gang hideouts.

There is no overarching story that ties everything together though, this mode isn't intended to end or be completed. Rockstar has gone on record saying they intend to constantly expand the scope of the game and add content. The game takes place shortly before GTA V so you will see some of the supporting cast appear in the Online version. There are cutscenes and narratives to the missions and your character will appear in them, but won't speak.

You do build relationships with the NPCs who offer work and in return you earn favors that can be called in when you need them. Some examples include befriending a biker gang and calling in for backup on a job or cultivating a relationship with a Private Security Firm and using their tech to hide your map icon from other players during a deathmatch. The coolest one that was described as being able to call in an airstrike during a race to sabotage whoever is in the lead to better your own chances.

Everything you do is about making money and further personalizing the game to represent your own tastes. This includes wardrobes and tattoos or cars and housing, there is a plethora of options to completely set yourself apart from every other player out there. There are many different player homes that can be customized, each comes with a garage to store your vehicles and ranges from two to ten vehicle limits.

With the various mission types comes roles within each mission. One mission that was described tasked a group of four to hijack a shipment of motorcycles. One role was that of a sniper to provide over-watch and the other three were designated to securing the shipment itself and transport.

When you and some buddies complete a job, the crew leader will then be tasked with divvying up the take. The nice thing to do would be to evenly divide it among each member, but greedy crew leader's can decide to keep it all for themselves which can then lead to disgruntle crew members trying to exact some revenge and take the cash for themselves.

This also confirmed that if you die, you drop all of your loose cash which gives another player an opportunity to take it for themselves. You can deposit your cash in an ATM for safe keeping and still access it like a debit card when it's time to make a purchase. For those who are worried about being hunted and killed when they want to simply enjoy the game world there is what Rockstar are calling Passive Mode. This makes you immune to being killed by player characters so long as you do not fire your own weapon.

So if you do have a great deal of cash on you from a job you can go into Passive Mode until you deposit it in an ATM. Now let's say you forget to toggle Passive Mode and a player kills you, steals your cash or your car. You can then place a bounty on that person's head or track your vehicle if you have placed a GPS on it.

Much has been done to streamline the matchmaking so that it limits the amount of time you spend in pregame lobbies. There are also various options you can select to choose who is placed in the free roam portion of the world. You can have it open to anyone and everyone, make it that only friends and crew members can have access, or even lock it down so you can have it all to yourself.

Part of what makes GTA: Online special goes unseen. The game will analyze your playstyle and preferences and will recommend missions or game modes that might appeal to you. For instance, the map would be extremely cluttered if all 500 missions were on there at one time(they are all replayable) so the game will populate the map with the missions it thinks are more inline with what you enjoy.

There is a ranking system similar to every other multiplayer, but there is also rankings for your crew as well. From what I read it seems that some content can only be accessed once your crew has attained a certain rank. No examples were given of what that content might be though.

Rockstar briefly touched on the content creator and explained that it is as easy as sending a text message. At first it will be limited to Deathmatch and Races, but will be expanded to encompass anything Rockstar themselves could create. I don't know if that means we can create our own co-op missions and heists, but if so you can consider me very excited. Some of the other cool details include taking showers to wash blood and bruises off of your character or watching other players run from the cops on your in-game TV on Weazel News.

The first month or so that the game is released will be treated like Beta or stress test to get the balance right and see how players tackle the content. Since the game is directly tied to Rockstar's Social Club they have direct access to tweak and change missions and other features. One thing that is still up in the air is how they will actually deliver new content. Title updates and DLC are possibilities, but nothing has been decided as of now.

Closing Thoughts

This is my fourth and probably last preview for GTA Online, I'm pretty sure we know all we are going to until it actually releases. I'm pretty excited and glad that I will be able to finally play it soon. There are still rumors all over the place about whether or not we'll see GTA: V on PC, Xbox One, or PS4. For now it's only on Xbox 360 and PS3 and launches in just a few days on September 17th. GTA: Online launches on October 1st for no addistional cost.

So what are your expectations and what system do you plan to play it on? Let me know in the comments below.

John is a lifelong gamer and writer from Baltimore, Go Ravens! You can find him all over the internet, seriously, just click these links and see for yourself. You already found him here on IGN. He's also on Twitter and Facebook. Plus, you can subscribe to his Youtube and Twitch channels, and be sure to check out his Blog Archive.

Ambitious doesn't even scratch the surface of what Rockstar is attempting with Grand Theft Auto V. The game world is massive, the content contained within that world is immense, the customization afforded to the player is robust, and the quality of entertainment GTA is known for is unparalleled. All that is just the single player too, add that same level of dedication and content to a multiplayer component and you might have potentially the greatest $60 value a video game has ever offered.

I have a routine when it comes to hotly anticipated titles. When a game is first announced a year or two before it is released, I try not to get too excited and avoid following the stories too closely. There are several reasons why I do this. The first is that it's still early in development and plenty can change, the second is I hate waiting and over hyping a game too early can create expectations that no one can meet. Once a game that I really want is on the horizon, I go into full 'I need that" mode. GTA V is just under three weeks away...so, I need that.

Ever since the GTA Online trailer launched and I did my trailer breakdown, I've been scouring the internet and digging up ever detail I could find on the multiplayer of this year's biggest game. What I have is over 12 hand written pages of notes and opinions mixed with my interpretation and some official information straight from Rockstar. I will attempt to disseminate it all in a way that hopefully is as intriguing to you as it is to me.

Things That I Think Make GTA Online Special

From all the information I've read and seen, it appears that your multiplayer character will be a newcomer to Los Santos and a criminal in the making. Your character will be highly customizable to a point that no two characters will be the same. You will choose a gender, a race, face and hair options, and have a huge variety of clothing and accessories to choose from.

It goes deeper than that though, part of the creation process has you selecting who your character's parents are and that helps play a role in your appearance. This leads me to believe that we have the ability to create biracial characters instead of choosing from the cookie cutter white, black, hispanic or asian.

On top of the appearance options you will have the ability to create a schedule for your character when you are not playing. In the single player you play as three different protagonists. When you are off mission and free roaming as one, the other two characters will go about their daily lives until you assume control of them.

You can set what kind of activities you want them to partake in and it will affect their stats in gameplay. It seems couch potatoes won't have the best stamina when running from the cops. This same option will be applied to your multiplayer character. Now here is my speculation portion of this topic: Could your multiplayer character be roaming around your single player game as you tackle missions with GTA's main trio? I don't know, but it would be an interesting mechanic if so.

The customization goes beyond just your character and extends to your assets as well. You can own homes in multiplayer or I should say home. You can only own one at a time, but as long as you have the cash you get to choose which. You can decorate your homes as well. Including from TVs, furniture, and maybe even what type of floors you have. I am still uncertain about that last part.

Homes are great, but vehicles are GTA's staple and GTA Online doesn't skimp on that account. I'm not talking the amount or variety of vehicles, I'm talking about customization and the fact you can actually own vehicles. Where do you put all these shiny toys? In your very own garage. To what extent you can customize your garage is unknown at this point, but I'd wager that there will be some level of personal touches. Some extra icing on the cake that I like is that you can put GPS in your vehicles just in case another player decides to make off with your ride when you aren't looking.

Now obviously you need cash to make any of this happen and there are plenty of ways to earn it. I've read that there will be hundreds of missions in GTA Online and all of them are re-playable. Following each mission there will be a breakdown of your performance similar to what was in The Ballad of Gay Tony. Rockstar hasn't talked too much about what kind of missions there will be outside of different types of heists, but I'd wager on there being a pretty diverse selection. There will also be more than a few side activities like Golf and Tennis and who knows what else.

A part from spending that hard earned cash you might want to consider putting it in a bank for safe keeping. The reason I say that is because if you are killed, any money you have on your person can be picked up by another player and then it's their money. So yes, you can keep your cash in a bank to help reduce the risk that premature expiration can bring to your financial status. I don't know how this will affect bank robberies or other features in the game, but it could certainly create an interesting game mode where you fight to protect your own cash.

When you and a buddy are cruising through the streets of Los Santos and decide music is in order, you can select from GTA V's 17 radio stations and 240 songs to pass the time. 15 of the stations play different varieties of music and 2 are reserved for talk radio. You can bet your bottom dollar there will creative and entertaining commercials too. Everyone in a single vehicle will also hear the exact same songs on the radio. It is a very small and yet very large feature all at the same time.

Something that started with Max Payne 3 is returning. Crews is Rockstars answer to online clans. There is a structure to your Crew that is reminiscent of any major criminal enterprise. Leaders are just that, they can also assign all the special ranks to the Crew members. Commissioners are the right hand of Leaders and have virtually all the same invite and promotional capabilities of the Leader. Lieutenants are the mid-tier criminal followed by Representatives and the lowest tier the Muscle. It's a cool twist on an age old concept

Here is a promotional image Rockstar released showing the structure of the Crews.

GTA IV's online was a blast, but eventually fell prey to all kinds of deviants and hacks that made it almost unplayable on a competitive level. Rockstar says that they are adding a report feature that will help them cut down on that sort of behavior and keep GTA Online fun for all...except those cheaters and trolls that is.

Closing Thoughts

There is a lot more stuff that I have in my notes that isn't confirmed so I want to hold off until I have more information. Needless to say I really don't think any other game to date is a match for the level of ambition Rockstar has in store for us.

There is some misconception about the status of GTA Online's release however and I thought I'd clear that up. When you buy GTA V, which releases on September 17th, you will be able to download GTA Online at no additional cost when it is released on October 1st.

Below is today's new trailer for the single player. My highlight is at the end, head to toe body armor, a bag of cash, and a minigun....Yup, I need this.

John is a lifelong gamer and writer from Baltimore, Go Ravens! You can find him all over the internet, seriously, just click these links and see for yourself. You already found him here on IGN. He's also on Twitter and Facebook. Plus, you can subscribe to his Youtube and Twitch channels, and be sure to check out his Blog Archive.

Rockstar released their trailer for the multiplayer component of the year's most anticipated game, Grand Theft Auto V. Taking what GTA IV started and Red Dead Redemption refined, GTA Online takes what was already an amazing experience and cranks it up to eleven.

Marketed as a mode that will originally be tied directly to GTA V's map, there is a goal and potential for the multiplayer to grow beyond the borders of San Andreas and possibly incorporate new locations. The 16 player limit is back from both previous Rockstar titles and the entirety of the GTA V map is at the disposal for all kinds of activities.

You will create your own character for GTA Online and work to make a reputation for yourself and earn money. With that money you can buy homes, vehicles, clothes and other customization options. The mode can be tackled alone, with friends, or filled with other random players who can either help or hurt your progress. It seems that anything you can do in the single player is available in the multiplayer, even customizing your cars.

A quick look at the customization screen for cars.

There is a content creator to make your own in game content. Deathmatch and Racing were the only modes detailed in the trailer, but I would be surprised if there wasn't more options beyond those two. You can upload your content for others to check out and download stuff the community has created. This is a very cool feature that can greatly expand the life span of the multiplayer, but when you add Rockstar's ambitious plan to push extra content, I think GTA Online will be this generations most defining game.

My Personal Thoughts

I am in total "wow" mode right now. I knew Rockstar was going to pull out all the stops, but I wasn't prepared for what I saw. The scale and the potential level of immersion is impressive. Adding the customized characters to multiplayer completely sells me on the mode, but adding all the other personalized features and options will make sure I work hard to convince my friends picks this game up.

I am very impressed with the fluidity of character movement in combat. The animations are much smoother and it appears that the unwieldy controls of GTA IV and RDR have finally been polished. Again, just the amount of content is absolutely staggering and the fact that you have total freedom for you and your friends to rob banks or armored trucks is super exciting. I can't even imagine how much of a time sink GTA V's single player is going to be, let alone the multiplayer.

Things are heating up outside of the San Andreas Government Facility.

Everything the trailer showed was good if not great. Shortly after the trailer was released the bad news broke. GTA V launches on September 17th on PS3 and Xbox 360, but the Online portion will not be available until October 1st. It's not a deal breaker, but after today I'm more interested in multiplayer than I am the single player. There will be no extra fees to access the Online mode though, which is good to hear.

There are two reasons I can think of for Rockstar to make this move. First, it can give extra reason to not trade the game in as soon as a player finishes it for the "extra credit" retailers will give for hot titles. Second, they might suspect people like me will avoid the single player and jumped straight online, thus they want to give us time to finish the single player before doing so. The second option seems a little far fetched though.

The final verdict, this is a must buy game if you enjoy fun. Yup, fun. The only way this game could be any better for me is if there were zombies in the online free roam. Of course I haven't played the game so everything is being taken at face value, but Rockstar has a reputation for delivering on what they say they are going to do. I can't wait to get my hands on GTA, so my buddies and I can start robbing San Andreas blind while cruising on a motorcycle. If you haven't seen the trailer, I've posted below.

What do you guys think? Am I crazy or does this game look like greatest thing since pizza bites? What are you looking forward to most? Any lady gamers who might read this, how do you feel about being able to play a female character online? Sound off in the comments and let me know.

John is a lifelong gamer and writer from Baltimore, Go Ravens! You can find him all over the internet, seriously, just click these links and see for yourself. You already found him here on IGN. He's also on Twitter and Facebook. Plus, you can subscribe to his Youtube and Twitch channels, and be sure to check out his Blog Archive.